A mother's boy, also mummy's boy or mama's boy, is a man who is excessively attached to his mother (Daniel) at an age when men are expected to be independent (e.g. live on their own, be economically independent, married to a woman or about to be married). Anecdotally, this age of independence varies throughout each strata of every human society in the world, sometimes greatly. A mother's boy may be effete or effeminate, or might be perceived as being macho, or might have a personality disorder, such as avoidant personality disorder, or might be schizophrenic, so that the mother acts as a caretaker.